THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL SIMULATION ON INTERACTION OF TWO VERTICAL AXIS TURBINES

Abstract

In this study, we analyze the flows around two S-shaped turbines that rotate inversely by numerical simulation. In general, when investigating the flow around a rotating object, a rotational coordinate system is often used. However, it is difficult to calculate with such coordinate system when two objects rotate in the reverse direction. Therefore, we use the overset grid that consists of two rotational coordinates for each turbine immersed in a steady coordinate to calculate this turbines’ system. In this study, two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulation is performed by changing the distance between two turbines rotating inversely and flow directions, and the influence of interaction is investigated. Moreover, it is found that the end-plates that are attached both sides of the blades play an important role to keep high performance of the tubrine.